Democratic Legislators Are Working Towards A Nationwide Paid Maternity Leave

Democratic Legislator Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) have proposed nationwide paid maternity leave. This means that a trust fund would be established within the Social Security Administration that is designed to pay mothers while they take time off after their pregnancy.

America (the land of the free and the home of the brave) currently does not have a mandatory paid maternity leave for expecting mothers. Yahoo CEO Marissa Myers returned to work just two weeks after having her child and while she received a lot of backlash for her decision, her choice is a harsh reality for a lot of working women in the United States, because most companies do not cater to the needs of women.

Options are even more limited for middle to lower income women who may get pregnant. They may have to take unpaid time off, file for disability pay, return right after the child is born or leave the workforce entirely. Not cool! But according to reports,help maybe on the way.

If this becomes law, the benefits could be awesome! Nationwide paid maternity leave would increase women’s participation in the workforce and according to Guttmacher, 73 percent of women who opted to terminate their pregnancy claimed that economic hardship was a factor in that decision. Imagine a world where women could be paid while taking the necessary time away from work to care for their newborn. Does it look like a happier place to you?

No word on whether or not this potential legislation is a go, but it definitely has my vote.